Methods for washing the nose of a child with saline solutions. Rinse your nose with saline solution at home How to prepare salt water for rinsing your nose

Rinsing the nose with saline is a fairly simple but effective way to cleanse the mucosa from mucus, crusts and pathogens. Due to this procedure, swelling and inflammation of the sinuses in respiratory and infectious diseases are reduced. saline solution almost no contraindications, it can be used for children younger age. Salt solution for washing the nose of the child must be properly prepared. It must be remembered that too weak composition of the effect will not give, and too concentrated can cause irritation.

Operating principle

Sometimes people wonder why the nose is washed with a saline solution of a special concentration, and not just boiled water. To give an answer, you need to delve a little into human physiology.

Hypertonic saline has a salt concentration of 0.9% or slightly higher. Such a composition can draw mucus from the nose onto itself, without a detrimental effect on leukocytes and healthy tissues. Salt composition contributes to the creation of osmotic pressure in the nasal cavity. This leads to a sharp loss of liquid by microorganisms and their destruction.

Most often, a runny nose is caused by viruses, but after a few days it joins bacterial infection. The snot in this case becomes thicker and changes color to yellow-green.

How to make a saline solution for washing the nose of a child

The salt composition has almost no contraindications, so it can be prescribed even to children infancy. In this case, it is very important to prepare the salt solution correctly, otherwise healing effect may be poorly expressed. You can buy a ready-made preparation for washing the nose at the pharmacy, but it will cost more.

The preparation of this remedy in ordinary home conditions will not take much time, and there are almost no costs. Prepare the medicine according to this recipe:

• Boil a glass of water for 3 minutes.
• Add kitchen salt and stir thoroughly until the crystals are completely dissolved.
• The solution is cooled to a temperature of 37 degrees and used to wash the nose.
• The shelf life of the drug is about an hour. Before each procedure, a fresh composition should be prepared.

Salt is added depending on the age of the child. To treat a child up to a year of salt, you need to take 1/3 teaspoon per glass of water, for children under 2 years old, take ½ teaspoon of salt. Toddlers older than this age and teenagers prepare a salt composition from a teaspoon of salt and a glass of water.

From severe runny nose in children older than two years, you can use a therapeutic composition prepared from an equal amount of salt and baking soda. It’s good to take sea salt instead of kitchen salt, it contains more useful substances.

For the treatment of children over 7 years old, you can add 1-2 drops of iodine alcohol tincture to the resulting salt composition. This component has a detrimental effect on viruses and many pathogenic bacteria.

How to rinse your nose with saline

To rinse the nose with a medicinal composition, you can use various devices.

1. Special teapots neti, which can be bought at the pharmacy. Such devices have a long spout with a rounded tip. Neti is used for nose washing by yogis.
2. A small rubber syringe with a soft tip.
3. Disposable syringe without needle.
4. Bottles from under pharmaceutical saline preparations.

For the correct procedure, the child needs to prepare an aspirator and a soft cotton cloth to wipe the nose.

Some parents use an old bottle of a pharmaceutical preparation, such as Aqua Marisa, to rinse their child's nose. It is poured into medicine cooked at home. The bottle must be washed beforehand.

The procedure for washing the nose in children different ages slightly different. Babies up to a year such a procedure is often carried out in the supine position. The baby is placed on a barrel, placing a small towel under the head, and a solution is poured into the nostril, which is higher, 2-3 ml is enough. After that, the liquefied mucus is sucked off with an aspirator, and the nose is wiped dry with a cotton turunda and a napkin. The same procedure is carried out with the second nostril.

For older children, the procedure can be carried out in vertical position. At the same time, children up to two years old are held by adults in their arms, adjusting the inclination of the head. The kid bends over a small basin, his head slightly turns to one side. A medicinal composition is poured into the upper nostril, if everything is done correctly, it flows out of the other nasal passage. The baby's mouth should be open.

Dr. Komarovsky believes that at the initial stage of a cold, it is important not to let the mucus in the nose dry out. This will help exactly brine.

How often can you rinse your child's nose

It is recommended to rinse the nose of a sick child with salt water up to 3 times a day. You don’t need to be very zealous, since frequent procedures have a bad effect on the ciliated epithelium.

You can resort to washing the nose just 1-2 times a day. The rest of the time, it is enough to irrigate the mucous membrane or treat it with cotton turundas dipped in the composition.

Pharmacy preparations

To wash the baby's nose, you can buy medications in a pharmacy. For this purpose, Aqua Maris or saline is ideal. The first drug is available in the form of drops and spray. It is undesirable for young children to use the spray, since a fine mixture can lead to an attack of severe coughing.

Saline is used in the same way as a solution prepared at home. To wash the nose, it is better to buy saline in small ampoules of 5 ml, one ampoule is enough for one procedure to a small child. If the baby is older than 2 years, then it is better to take the isotonic solution in 100 ml vials.

After rinsing the nose, mucus in young children should be removed with an aspirator or a small rubber douche. Older children should be offered to blow their nose, and then dry the mucosa with dry cotton turundas.

If the procedure is carried out correctly, the liquid should voluntarily flow out of the other nostril. But even if she got into her mouth, there is nothing wrong with that.

To prepare a saline solution for washing the nose at home should be in compliance with all the rules of asepsis and antisepsis. Before cooking, it is important to wash your hands well with soap and rinse all necessary utensils. hot water. In addition, the following recommendations should be followed:

• Young children should only wash their noses in the presence of an adult. Parents not only monitor the correctness of the procedure, but also make sure that the baby does not choke.
• Do not use too hot flushing fluid. The water should be at a comfortable temperature, about 37 degrees.
• Alcohol tincture of iodine should not be added to the composition if the child has chronic diseases thyroid gland or kidneys.
• You can not use just boiled water to wash the nasal cavity. Such procedures will not give any effect. To eliminate crusts, the baby's nose can be treated with turundas dipped in saline liquid.
• Infants should use a regular pipette to wash their nasal passages.
• It is worth rinsing the baby's nose only when he is in good mood. It is unacceptable to carry out the procedure for a crying child.
• The solution for washing cannot be stored for a long time, as they are lost beneficial features. It needs to be prepared one time.
• Sea salt for cooking medical composition take in the same proportions as the kitchen.

If coarse salt is used, then it is advisable to strain the saline solution through a couple of layers of gauze before use. This will remove undissolved granules.

You can add a few drops of lemon juice to the salt solution. Due to this, the therapeutic effect can be enhanced.

For respiratory diseases in children, it is useful to rinse nasal cavity salt composition. Due to such procedures in the nasopharynx, the population of pathogenic bacteria decreases and tissue swelling is eliminated. If you wash your nose a couple of times a day, then recovery will come very quickly.

Let's take a closer look at how to rinse your nose at home. What means to choose for this and when is it better to refrain from such a measure?

Absolutely no one is immune from the appearance of the disease. An illness can suddenly overtake anyone, both in winter and in summer, when it is already impossible to breathe without an air conditioner.

One of the easiest, most effective and accessible to everyone methods of dealing with rhinitis is nasal lavage or irrigation therapy. But before proceeding with the manipulation, you should learn about certain subtleties and nuances so as not to harm yourself or your child.

When nasal lavage is indicated. Why is this procedure necessary?

The main task of the event is to cleanse the nasal cavity of accumulated mucus. Therefore, the main indication for its implementation is the presence of a runny nose or rhinorrhea, which can be observed in various ENT diseases. Therefore, it is recommended to independently resort to its help when:

• acute rhinitis of a viral or bacterial nature;
• sinusitis, especially sinusitis;
• adenoiditis;
• tonsillitis;
• laryngitis;
• pharyngitis, etc.

Especially often, doctors advise you to rinse your nasal passages yourself before instilling vasoconstrictor drops or other medicines prescribed by a doctor. This will allow you to get the expected result much faster and increase the effectiveness of the use of medicines.

It may seem strange, but irrigation can be practiced to relieve the condition of:

• headaches, including migraines;
• severe fatigue;
• visual impairment;
• severe diseases of the bronchi and lungs, including bronchial asthma;
• insomnia;
• depression.

Irrigation therapy is also indicated for the prevention of the development of colds and allergies. This is due to the fact that most of the pathogenic microorganisms and allergens are washed out of the nasal cavity, due to which the risk of rhinitis is reduced tenfold.

How can you wash your nose?

What means to do washing depends on the cause of the appearance of rhinorrhea. The most universal and simplest of them is considered isotonic saline solution.

For its preparation, it is allowed to take ordinary table salt, but it is better to give preference to sea salt. It is also used for this sold in every pharmacy sodium chloride (saline), you can already buy it there finished medicines released by well-known pharmacological companies.

To increase the effectiveness of the event, on the recommendation of a doctor, it can be carried out using herbal decoctions or antiseptic and antimicrobial drugs.

But the choice of which solution to rinse the nose from mucus should be left to the otolaryngologist, since the use of the same antiseptics, for example, with allergic rhinitis will be at least ineffective, and in the worst case will lead to acute rhinitis.

This is due to the fact that the substance will kill all the microflora that inhabits the mucous membrane, in the place of which they are able to come pathogenic microbes, unfamiliar immune system person. This will cause a pathology, which can not be dealt with quickly.

Important information

Never rinse your nose tap water, especially not subjected to heat treatment!

This could cause appearance of mucosal edema. After all, according to the laws of physics, water will be absorbed into the blood and tissues containing sodium chloride in order to equalize its concentration on both sides of the mucous membrane, which acts as a kind of semi-permeable membrane.

This is called osmosis. If you use unboiled water, especially from the tap, it can contain bacteria that are quite dangerous to health, which, against the background of a decrease in immunity, will easily take root and cause a deterioration in the patient's well-being.

It is permissible to use such water only if irrigation therapy is used as part of a daily hygiene ritual. Source: website

Pharmacy preparations

Today you can buy ready-made preparations with a saline solution. Most of them are based on sea ​​water. This:

• Salin;
• Humer;
• Physiomer;
• Aqua Maris;
• Avamis;
• Otrivin Sea;
• Marimer;
• Dolphin;
• Sinomarin;
• Morenasal;
• Aqualor;
• AquaMaster;
• But-salt;
• Dr. Theiss allergol;
• Quicks, etc.

Some drugs are available in the form of sprays and drops, and some, in particular, Dolphin and Aqua Maris, are equipped with special systems that greatly facilitate irrigation therapy. But any of them

From this, the procedure will not lose its effectiveness. The only thing that will change is the convenience of its implementation, because you will have to resort to the help of improvised devices.

Folk remedies and decoctions

Beneficial features medicinal plants and others natural products hard to overestimate. They can also help with breathing problems. For example, it is useful to do washings:

Infusion of propolis. In a glass of warm boiled water, dilute 10 drops of propolis tincture, one teaspoon of salt and 2 drops alcohol solution iodine. The mixture is thoroughly mixed and used twice or thrice a day.

Decoctions and infusions of herbs. You can wash with chamomile, sage, calendula, eucalyptus, or a mixture of them. The easiest way to prepare an infusion. For this, 1-2 tbsp is enough. l. Pour vegetable raw materials into a liter jar, pour boiling water and leave for a quarter of an hour.

Then the infusion is filtered and cooled. It is extremely important that its temperature is not to cause burns or, conversely, hypothermia of tissues and vasospasm.

Beet juice with honey. The medicine has pronounced bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties, so you should not choose it for prevention. It is prepared from 2 tbsp. l. honey, a glass of beetroot juice and warm boiled water.

Antibacterial and antimicrobial nasal rinses

With sinusitis, many otolaryngologists recommend the practice of irrigation with soda.

A drug based on it has a bactericidal effect due to which it kills pathogenic microorganisms, causing inflammation in the accessory sinuses.

Also excellent antiseptic properties drugs such as Miramistin and Chlorhexidine can boast. But washings begin only after they are diluted. For this purpose, ordinary boiled or sea water can be used.

But it is not worth it to treat yourself with such antiseptics, as this is fraught with the occurrence of unpleasant consequences.

In addition, with such therapy, it is highly undesirable to swallow liquid, since this can lead to irritation of the gastrointestinal mucosa and the development of other pathologies.

How to prepare a nasal wash solution?

Which is allowed to be used for any ENT diseases, can be easily and simply at home. To do this, in a liter of boiled water, dissolve 2 teaspoons of ordinary or sea ​​salt. Strain the remedy to remove undissolved crystals and small pebbles that can injure the mucous membranes.

note

When choosing sea salt, make sure that it does not contain dyes and flavors.

For irrigation of children's noses, it is worth preparing a less concentrated preparation. Therefore, for every 200 ml of boiled water, you need to take ¼ teaspoon of the selected salt.

To increase the effectiveness and give the agent anti-inflammatory, bactericidal and disinfectant properties, you can add to it:

• Soda. In this case, take 1 teaspoon of salt and soda per liter of water.
• Iodine. One drop of iodine is added to the finished product.

To determine whether the solution is not too concentrated, your own feelings will help. If after its introduction there is a feeling of tingling, this indicates an excess of salt.

In such situations, you must immediately dilute it with water., since irrigation with hyperconcentrated preparations can lead to the formation of severe edema and dryness of the mucous membrane, which is fraught with the appearance of discomfort and crusts.

How to rinse your nose properly? Washing technique

There are several options for implementing this hygiene procedure at home, since for this purpose can be used:

Regardless of the choice of device, there are a number of rules that must be observed:

1. Temperature finished product should be between 25–30 °C.
2. An adult needs to use at least one glass of liquid to clean each half of the nasal cavity.
3. If manipulation is performed with herbal decoctions or means prepared from pharmaceutical preparations, they should be prepared daily. It is not recommended to use yesterday's, because microorganisms managed to multiply in them in a day.
4. Irrigation therapy is best done over a sink, wide pelvis or other container with a large diameter.
5. Before the event, you need to blow your nose well, and suck the snot off the babies with the help of special aspirators, a syringe or other device.
6. After performing the manipulation, you need to stay at home and avoid drafts for an hour.
7. If the sessions do not bring relief or even cause a deterioration in the condition, you need to stop self-treatment and consult a specialist.

The procedure itself can be carried out in different ways. The choice of methodology is determined by the vastness inflammatory process and age of the patient.

With an isolated lesion of the nose it is enough to process only it. For this, the head is tilted to one side and the agent is injected into the upper nostril. The correctness of the event is evidenced by the outflow of fluid from the second nostril. Then the procedure is repeated, leaning in the opposite direction.

If the inflammation swept not only nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, but also spread to the nasopharynx and pharynx, they should also be cleaned.

To do this, the head is slightly tilted forward, one nostril is clamped, and liquid is drawn in with the opposite one. In this case, the nasal rinsing solution will drain into oral cavity through the nasopharynx, clearing it, and pour out of the parted mouth.

You can, on the contrary, tilt your head back, open your mouth, stick out your tongue and inject liquid into the nasal passages using some device, such as a syringe or douche. As soon as it enters the mouth, it is immediately spit out. At the end of the session, it is recommended to blow your nose to remove any remaining moisture and mucus.

Children under one year old are not washed as such, due to the fact that they still have very wide ear canals opening into the nose. Therefore, when a liquid is injected under pressure, it can penetrate into them, dragging the pathogenic flora with it.

syringe

The easiest to perform is irrigation with a syringe. For adults, products with a volume of 10 or 20 ml are suitable; when treating children, it is better to limit yourself to 5 and 10 ml syringes. The agent is drawn into the instrument without putting on a needle. Its tip is inserted into the nostril and, gradually pressing on the piston, liquid is injected.

Douche (pear)

To make a flush with a pear, special skill is also not required. The solution is drawn into it by squeezing the body of the device and immersing it in a container with liquid. Then the tip of the syringe is inserted into the nostril and, gradually pressing on it, the therapeutic solution is injected. It is important to avoid sharp and strong pressure.

It is advisable to choose a device with a soft tip so as not to damage the tissues. The volume of the pear used can be anything, but it is better to give preference to 200 ml devices, since it is this amount of liquid that is recommended to be used to cleanse one half of the nose.

Worth noticing

The Irrigation Therapy Bulb cannot be used for enemas, vaginal douching or any other purpose!

Teapot or special teapot

On sale there are special teapots called "neti pot". More often they are found in stores selling oriental goods, since such devices have been used by Buddhist monks for centuries for daily cleansing of the nasal cavity.

But in the absence of such, an ordinary teapot will also fit, the main thing is that it has a narrow spout. If the house has a teapot with only a wide spout, you can put a nipple with a cut end on it.

The vessel is filled with the prepared solution, tilted to one side and the tip of its spout is inserted literally a couple of millimeters into the nostril. Raising the device, pour in the liquid, after slightly opening the mouth.

Precautionary measures

In general, irrigation therapy is quite safe, but certain precautions should be observed when implementing it:

• During the introduction of fluid by any of the methods, it is worth holding your breath so that it does not penetrate into Airways and ear canals.
• It is harmful to carry out the manipulation until breathing is restored, as this increases the risk of fluid entering the ears along with bacteria.
• If you feel that water has nevertheless got into your ear, you should try to immediately remove it from there, for example, by tilting your head to the appropriate side, jerking it sideways, down, up, so that the liquid flows out faster. Otherwise, the ear may get sick, which is fraught with the development of otitis media.

How often and how many times a day should you rinse your nose?

Typically, otolaryngologists advise patients to medicinal purposes carry out manipulations about 3 times a day, and the last session should be carried out at night.

How many days it will take to do this depends on the severity of the disease and the characteristics of its course, but in most cases from 7 to 14 days is enough.

More long-term treatment required when chronic sinusitis or if a person constantly works in conditions of high dust content in the air.

You can also wash with salt to prevent the development of colds. For this purpose, 2-3 sessions per week are enough, but it is better to make them a part of the daily hygiene ritual, like brushing your teeth and taking a shower.

When is nasal lavage contraindicated and ineffective?

Despite the apparent safety of the event, in certain cases it cannot be carried out, namely when:

• the presence of tumors in the ENT organs;
• weakness of the walls of the vessels of the nasopharynx, since in such situations severe bleeding is almost inevitable;
• significant swelling of the mucous membrane.

Pregnant and lactating women are not prohibited from washing with traditional isotonic solutions. On the contrary, the implementation of these therapeutic manipulations will have a very beneficial effect on full recovery from illness, especially in their condition.

If self-treatment turned out to be ineffective and did not bring results, then this is a direct motivation for contacting an ENT. This can be observed with congestion provoked by sinusitis.

In such cases, doctors recommend washing the sinuses of mucus and pus with the Cuckoo procedure. This method involves the removal of the contents using a vacuum, that is, the nurse pours the drug into one nostril, which is sucked off by an aspirator from the other.

In this case, the patient must constantly repeat "Ku-Ku", since the pronunciation of this combination of sounds helps to block the throat, so that the liquid does not enter it. The procedure is safe, effective, and also completely painless and can be prescribed even to children over the age of 5 years.

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Runny nose is a protective reaction of the body that occurs in response to exposure to pathogenic agents, which can be viruses, bacteria, allergens, dust particles. Most often it is a symptom infectious diseases caused by viral pathogens.

Since this process is protective function, then the treatment of the common cold is inappropriate. Otherwise, incorrect actions can lead to a decrease in local immunity and a more severe course of the disease. The treatment of the common cold can be discussed in cases where its severe course contributes to the development of such complications of SARS as otitis media, sinusitis, bronchitis. In addition, pronounced symptoms can lead to worsening general condition patient, interfere with sleep and rest of the patient. In this case, it may also be necessary to carry out measures aimed at reducing the swelling of the mucosa and combating rhinorrhea.

Nasal drops for a cold

Drops used to treat the common cold are divided into products that have in their composition

• vasoconstrictor component;
• salt solutions;
• oil solutions;
• solutions containing antibiotics.

A separate group includes immunostimulating agents, presented in the form of nasal drops. To decrease given symptom they have only an indirect relationship, reducing the duration of treatment, preventing the development of complications.

Importance of saline solutions

The simplest and safe means is a saline solution for washing the nose, the recipe of which consists of two components, boiled water and table salt. The use of such a tool contributes to the dilution of discharge from the nose, easier emptying.

The most relevant use of this solution in children. This is due to the characteristics anatomical structure the auditory tube in a child, because it is wider and shorter than in adults. This contributes to the throwing into it of the mucous discharge and pathogenic microorganisms from the nasal cavity. The consequence of such actions is the development of inflammation of the auditory tube, and subsequently, otitis media.

Washing the nose with saline solution for children leads to liquefaction of mucus, prevents the development of stagnation in the auditory tube, which means it is a prevention of complications of acute respiratory viral infections.

The preservation of the discharge in liquid form also contributes to the fact that the nasal mucosa does not dry out, remains moist. This prevents the formation of crusts, the accumulation of which makes nasal breathing difficult.

The child in such a situation is forced to breathe through the mouth. The result is that during sleep, the infectious pathogen enters the body through a dry throat, trachea, and leads to the development of bronchitis and pneumonia. Therefore, therapeutic measures for a runny nose should contribute to the preservation of the liquid consistency of mucus from the nose.

As means used for these purposes, can be used pharmaceutical preparations"Aqua Maris", "Morenazal", "Marimer", physiological solution. A similar remedy can be prepared at home. How to make a saline nasal solution for a child?

Mortar recipe

To prepare the necessary solution is taken boiled water and table or sea salt. (Unless purchased from a pharmacy chain, sea salt should not contain dyes or flavors that can trigger an allergic reaction.)

The proportions of saline solution for washing the nose of a child are one teaspoon of salt per liter of water.

After stirring the salt and cooling the liquid, the resulting nasal saline solution is ready for use.

Tactics of the procedure

The introduction of fluid into the nasal cavity is carried out under pressure. For this, a medical bulb, a syringe without a needle, or a used clean bottle from other drops can be used. There are special rules on how to properly rinse the nose with saline for a child. They are also due to structural features of the auditory tube.

By performing such a procedure in the horizontal position of the child, it is possible, with excessive efforts and pressure, to contribute to the reflux of the contents from the nasal cavity into auditory tube or even in tympanic cavity. Such actions will certainly cause the development of inflammation of the middle ear. The basic rule is that nasal irrigation is recommended to be carried out in the upright position of the child or with his head raised. Instructions for use as pharmaceutical products, and prepared at home, states that it is dangerous to rinse the nose with saline solution for a child in a horizontal position.

Washing the nose is carried out alternately on one side and the other. Only after waiting for the water to have already flowed out of one half of the nose, they begin to wash the other. It is recommended to carry out two or three such procedures per day. The temperature of the solution should correspond to the temperature of the child's body, that is, be about 40 degrees.

If the patient is prescribed some other nasal remedies, they are instilled after washing the nose.

Preventive use

This tool can be used not only as medical measures but also for the prevention of SARS. During an epidemic, when the number of infected people is growing, and the concentration of the virus in the surrounding space is increasing, such preventive action contribute to the fact that the nasal mucosa will always be in a wet state. The causative agent of influenza or other respiratory infections prefers dry warm air. Thus, regular irrigation of the nose prevents the penetration of the virus into the body through the entrance gate.

Few people know how to properly make a saline solution for washing the nose of a child.

A runny nose prevents children from playing, developing, and doing homework. In a situation where the nose is not able to pass air, the child is forced to inhale it through the oral cavity, as a result of which the brain receives an insufficient amount of oxygen. If the disease is of a protracted nature, this reduces the mental abilities of the child, lowers the already weak immunity. The child becomes more and more irritable, lethargic, more often comes into conflict with peers, avoids close people.

One of effective ways treatment for rhinitis is to rinse the nose, especially with salt water. The nose is the first human organ through which air enters the body. During normal nasal breathing, the nose filters the air that enters it, keeping harmful substances out. When it is very difficult or impossible to breathe through the nose, the person breathes through the mouth, and the air enters the lungs in large portions. Everything goes with him harmful microorganisms, viruses and bacteria that cause many diseases.

Rinsing the nose is useful not only for rhinitis, but also in order to prevent the likelihood of the disease, that is, for preventive purposes. In this case, the solution for washing the nose of the child may have different composition. The most optimal and having a number of positive effects is a saline solution. Rinsing the nose will help not only cure a runny nose, but also restore the protective function of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages. The saline solution removes mucus and adhering dust particles from them, which turn into growths and crusts on the nasal mucosa.

Every child visits places with large concentrations of children ( kindergarten, school, etc.), which leads to a high probability of infection. Therefore, in last years mothers are increasingly resorting to washing the sinuses of their children. After all, the use of various sprays and drops for the treatment of the common cold causes disruption of the entire respiratory system, and addiction to the components of drugs leads to the fact that drugs will need to be used more and more often.

In this case, mucosal edema will occur as quickly as it disappears.

Such drops are very harmful to the nose.

Nasal lavages can be used in both children and pregnant women. Usually, separate sprays and drops are produced for a child, which differ from drops for adults. And for pregnant women, almost all drugs for the treatment of the common cold are contraindicated.

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Solution preparation

For a saline solution, it is best to use sea salt. It contains many minerals, useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the nasal mucosa. At the same time, when washing the sinuses, not only a cure occurs, but also a general recovery. internal cavity nasal passages. Sea salt can be bought at a pharmacy, and it is necessary to check the integrity of the package and the expiration date. Sea salt contains a large amount of iodine, which literally destroys all viruses and bacteria living in the nose.

If there is no sea salt, you can use table salt, but always pure white. In no case should you use gray salt, because it contains a lot of harmful substances and impurities. Of course, if ordinary salt is used to work with the nose, then the effect will not be the same as from sea salt. After all, it does not contain useful substances, but it will have the desired effect. If it is possible to use just sea water, purified for washing, then you definitely need to use it. But this can only be done on vacation, at sea, which not everyone can afford as often as they would like.

1. If sea water is used for children, you just need to pour it into a special kettle and carry out the washing procedure. At the same time, it must be remembered that such water must be passed through a purification system, especially if the water is collected from the shore.
2. If packaged sea salt is used, which can be bought at a pharmacy, then it must be diluted in a glass of warm water. In this case, you need to add no more than one teaspoon. Careful dissolution of salt guarantees excellent results. It is also better to pass such a solution through a filter or purification system. If washing is used only for prevention, and not for the treatment of an already existing runny nose, then no more than a third or half a teaspoon of the substance should be used, otherwise the mucous membrane can be dried out.
3. When there is neither sea water nor sea salt at hand, you will have to use ordinary salt. It is important to prepare the solution correctly, otherwise there may be backfire, since such salt dries the mucous membrane very much. You will need a glass of warm water and half a teaspoon of salt. For best effect you can add a couple of drops of iodine and a teaspoon of baking soda. This composition is as close as possible to a solution of sea salt. But you can use only one salt. If washing is needed only for a preventive effect, then it is better not to add iodine and soda, one salt is enough.

In any case, the water must be boiled. The water temperature is comfortable. The expected effect depends on this. Dishes should be clean, hands too. For each session, it is necessary to prepare a fresh solution, even if the solution remains after the previous procedure.

Nasal lavage with saline solution hygiene procedure easily carried out at home. You will need pure water and salt. The procedure does not require special skills and abilities. Even a child can easily master it. The positive effect of nasal washes will not keep you waiting. With prolonged bacterial colds this procedure is mandatory for effective treatment.

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Why rinsing the nose with saline is effective

Normally, we breathe through our nose. Together with the air we inhale microscopic dust particles. Under certain conditions (for example, if someone sneezes nearby), microbes get into the air. The nasal mucosa is constantly moistened. All this dust and microbes settle on the mucosa, "stick" to it. This mechanism prevents the spread of various contaminants from the air deeper into the respiratory tract.

In most cases, the common cold is viral, bacterial or allergenic in nature. Consider what happens in our nose with a runny nose.

1. Settled viruses, bacterial cells or allergens cause a complex of protective reactions, the main of which is mucosal hypersecretion. Its purpose is the mechanical washing out of foreign particles and microorganisms from the nose. As a result, their concentration decreases.
2. In the case of a viral-bacterial rhinitis, on the 3rd-4th day, a transparent liquid secret begins to change its structure (compacts, becomes more viscous) and color (changes to yellow or green).
3. The mucosa swells, congestion appears.
4. The purulent process that has begun slows down, and often completely stops, the natural drainage of the mucosa.
5. The concentration of pathogens in the nasal cavity increases.
6. Periodic purulent runny nose is always a harbinger (and/or).

What happens when we flush our nose with saline?

• We help the mucosa to restore effective drainage;
• reduce the amount of secretory secretions in the nasal cavity;
• reduce the viscosity of secretory secretions;
• mechanically wash off microbes and allergens from the mucosa;
• reduce the concentration of microbial flora in the nose;
• improve the immunity of the nasopharynx;
• relief breathing.

What diseases does washing help with?

Viral and bacterial rhinitis

You should start rinsing your nose with saline at the first sign of a runny nose. In most cases, a runny nose starts as a viral infection and then progresses to a bacterial form.

The sooner you start flushing out the viruses, the less likely they are to suppress the local immunity of the nasopharynx and the less likely it is that the common cold will turn into a purulent form.

Sinusitis

Hygiene of the nasal cavity is of fundamental importance for sinusitis and frontal sinusitis. Patients with chronic sinusitis who start flushing at the first sign of a runny nose and perform the procedure three times a day for 1-2 weeks note a decrease in the number of exacerbations.

At chronic form rinsing the nose with saline can reduce the likelihood of exacerbations. Salt has an aseptic property: washings are prescribed after removal of the adenoids, in combination with antibiotics in the acute phase of the disease.

To prepare a saline solution for washing the nose, you will need:

• Boiled water (tap is suitable, but filtered);
• salt (or table salt - does not matter).

For effective and painless washing, two rules must be observed:

• Make a solution of a certain concentration;
• rinse with a solution of a certain temperature.

Salt concentration

For one wash, approximately 250 ml of solution will be enough for you. For such an amount of water, it is necessary to dilute 2-2.2 g of salt - this is about a third of a teaspoon.

If the solution is not salty enough, the procedure will become unpleasant:

• You will feel a burning sensation;
• mucosa will increase secretion;
• congestion occurs;
• redden eyes.

If the solution is too salty, this will lead to overdrying of the mucosa due to the too pronounced aseptic effect of salt on the cells. Despite the fact that it is easier to rinse with a slightly oversalted solution than with a heavily undersalted one, the effects of exposure to a solution with an increased salt concentration can be felt for several hours after the procedure in the form unpleasant dryness, burning and itching.


If you do not have electronic scales, and “by eye” you have not yet learned how to correctly determine the amount of salt, then it is better to put a little less salt.

solution temperature

It should be borne in mind that upon contact with the mucous membrane, the solution must have a temperature similar to it - i.e. 36 C. Maybe 1-2 degrees less.

If the temperature of the solution is lower, then this will lead to cooling of the mucosa and, depending on individual features, may cause an additional decrease in the protective function.

If the water temperature is above 36 C, it will stimulate the expansion blood vessels. There may be congestion, and in some prone individuals, nosebleeds.

Due to the need to comply with the temperature regime, it makes no sense to prepare a solution for washing for future use.

How to rinse your nose with salt water

Never suck saline solution in with your nose! This is the wrong way to wash.

Nasal Wash Precautions

• Observe temperature regime washing solution.
• Observe correct position bodies when washing: leaning forward, keep your head in a horizontal plane.
• Do not pour water under too much pressure.
• Blow your nose after washing lightly, without effort, without closing the nasal passages and without creating an area of ​​\u200b\u200bhigh pressure in the nasal cavity.

When not to rinse your nose

Despite the harmlessness of the procedure, one should not forget that nasal lavage- This is a therapeutic hygienic procedure. She doesn't need to be abused. The nasal mucosa has its own unique microflora. The secret secreted by its cells is itself protective. Frequent exposure salt water will result in:

• To change the natural microflora of the mucosa;
• to hypersecretion of secretory cells.

This will result in:

• Decreased local immunity;
• more intense secretion.

Conclusion

Washing the nose with saline is a necessary physiotherapy, as well as for the prevention of exacerbations of sinusitis and adenoiditis.

It is important to observe the concentration of salt, as well as the temperature regime of the solution.

Carry out washing according to the principle of "gravity" or use the Dolphin device.

Gently rinsing the nose with saline at home, if indicated, is recommended even for infants.

Do not abuse the flushing procedure. In the absence of signs of a runny nose, systematic rinsing will adversely affect the condition of the nasal mucosa and its protective function.

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